


Swinging Seekers

by Spoon888



Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Bad Sex, Especially Starscream, Jealousy, M/M, Megatron's A Slut, Multi, Oral, Promiscuity, Recreational Sex, Sticky, Threesome - M/M/M, Untagged Pairings, Voyeurism, so is everyone else, so much sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-05 19:22:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15177596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spoon888/pseuds/Spoon888
Summary: Starscream discovers a list of names among Megatron's personal files, all of them seekers. His is the only designation not checked off. He wonders why, and then regrets it.He never has coped with jealousy well...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I almost titled this 'Slut Wars' but that would have been too accurate.

On Earth, there wasn't a lot that could keep a mech of Megatron's vast intellect entertained. He had to have something to fill the time. And between battles, and loses, and punching Prime, it was the little things he enjoyed the most.

Little things; like tracking progress. Measuring his accomplishments. He liked to be organised.

It was perhaps a small indication of a compulsive glitch, but he enjoyed it nonetheless, marking down the tallies. The worlds he had conquered. He enemies he had felled. The _seeker's he'd fragged_.

That last list was his favourite, and not coincidentally, his longest.

And getting longer all the time.

"Megatron..." Dirge whispered, breath fogging the glass screen of the communal shower, the solvent long since switched off.

"Megatron..." Thrust whispered too, somehow more desperate.

He had the two of them pinned, Thrust squashed between the wall and Dirge, and Dirge between Thrust and himself. They went between moaning his designation and kissing each other as he fragged Dirge, and Dirge fragged Thrust. It was good. Their wings fluttering, synchronised with each other's pleasure.

Megatron pumped his hips languidly, content with a pace that was just shy of being enough for the two seekers.

"Please, Megatron, _sir_..." Dirge arched back against him.

Ah, formalities now. They must be particularly desperate. He didn't require the same respect for rank here, now, as he would have during the on-shift, but it was nice to hear anyway.

"What do you think, Thrust?" Megatron leant over Dirge's wing to peer down into the other seeker's flushed face. "Should I finish him?"

Thrust nodded frantically, his digits slipping against Dirge's solvent drenched armour. He swallowed thickly. "...Yeah."

They were loyal, obedient soldiers, so Megatron obliged them where he might have strung a lesser jet along. The two of them had put him in a rather good mood...

His heavy hips clanged sharply against Dirge's aft. He braced his servos against the glass on either side of them, and drove into them. His thrusts bucked Dirge deeper into his trine-mate, and Thrust, the loudest of perhaps all his seekers (save one), yelled with every harsh shove, his engine roaring as climax approached-

"Hnng~" Dirge let out a pathetic little noise. His helm dropped to Thrust's shoulder, whole frame slumping.

"Dirge!" Thrust yelled indignantly, and Megatron looked down when he felt a patter of droplets on his pede. The shower wasn't dripping. Dirge had overloaded, fluid falling from between his thighs.

Megatron bit the side of Dirge's wet neck, smirking at the blissfully stupid smile that flickered over the seeker's face. "Uh wow..."

"Wow indeed." Megatron agreed, carefully removing himself from Dirge's valve. "That was far sooner than I had expected."

Dirge was too pleased with himself to realise he was being criticised. He stumbled out from between them and slumped to the wet floor. Thrust was still leant against the glass wall, touching his valve absently as he scowled at his trine-mate. Megatron wasn't surprised at the resentment.

No wonder these seeker's were so easy to charm- they certainly couldn't satisfy each other.

Luckily for Thrust, he was here.

He knocked slim fingers away from Thrust's valve and with two strong servos under shapely seeker thighs, hoisted him up the wall. Thrust cried out when he entered him. He was tight, Dirge's spike not sufficient enough preparation for his own thicker, longer equipment.

On the floor Dirge watched them with his silly grin.

The least Megatron could do was put on a show for him. 

 

* * *

 

Dirge and Thrust were late for morning inspection. Again.

"I don't know what's keeping them." Ramjet said stiffly, his sneer inches from Starscream's.

"You're their trine-leader aren't you?" Starscream leant in a little more, their olfactories almost brushing. "Find out!"

"Chill out, Screamer." An obnoxious voice called across to him.

Starscream looked over Ramjet's wing and saw the culprits themselves hurrying into the flight hanger. Thrust was sporting a slight limp. Infighting perhaps? Internally, he felt a curl of delight, mood lifting at the perfect excuse to punish them.

"And _where_ have _you_ been?"

Thrust and Dirge shuffled into formation either side of a straight faced -uncharacteristically stoic- Ramjet.

"Well?!"

"Special duties, commander," Thrust explained, sounding smug. "Attending to Lord Megatron."

Further up the line, Skywarp snorted.

Starscream turned to look at him, and kept looking at him, until Skywarp wiped the stupid smile off his face and straightened up again.

He turned back to Thrust, eyeing him and Dirge suspiciously, repeating, "Special. _Duties_?"

They nodded.

Like slag would Megatron pick these two dunderheads for special duties over his own trine. Or himself, for that matter.

"Well, we'll see what Megatron has to say about that, shall we." He said smugly, and activated his comm.

" _What now, Starscream_." Megatron answered exasperatingly.

Starscream bit back the urge to snap at him.

"I have two tardy miscreants here citing you as an excuse." He sneered, glaring at the seekers in front of him, daring them to throw in any last desperate excuses. "What should I do with them."

There was a moment of silence on Megatron's end. Starscream started to smile, when-

" _Give them the rest of the shift off,_ " Megatron advised gruffly, " _They completed the task I set them commendably-"_

Whatever else he might have said was lost to the snickering of his gathered airforce. He stared down the line, and became aware that his mouth had fallen open. He snapped it shut, then hung up on whatever undeserved praise Megatron was still prattling out for the Coneheads.

"Dirge. Thrust. Get out of my sight." He ordered, short and furious with Megatron for making him look like such a fool.

"Yes sir, commander," Dirge's optics brightened pleasantly.

"The rest of you!" Starscream shouted, focusing on the snickering underlings so he wouldn't have to watch Dirge and Thrust gleefully skip off to go and enjoy their free day. "Flight manoeuvres. Get outside. Now."

They mumbled and shuffled to obey less than enthusiastically. All save Ramjet, who shoved his shoulder like he was some grunt he could get away with throwing his weight around and not someone far, _far_ above his station.

"Hey!"

"How am I supposed to do manoeuvres without a trine?" Ramjet argued, arms open to show how alone he was. "Just give me the shift off too."

"In you dreams," Starscream snarled, "Make a trine out of a pair of seagulls. You won't notice the difference."

Ramjet's face screwed into an expression that warned of forthcoming obscenities. Starscream ignored him, marching off to find Skywarp and smack him for giggling like an ingrate when he was trying to threaten someone.

Did no one in this damn airforce have an iota of respect?

 

* * *

 

Starscream was annoyed enough that he decided to do some snooping. Soundwave knew nothing of any 'special duties' and there had been no reports filed by Thrust or Dirge that morning. They were fairly stupid though, so it was always possible they simply didn't do it because neither of them could remember how to read...

But no. There was something else going on.

With no official reports to rummage through he had to dig deeper. If Megatron needed seekers for special duties, there was no logical explanation for why he wouldn't have picked competent fliers for the job.

Like himself. Skywarp and Thundercracker may be subpar in comparison, but his presence more than made up for their failings. And they certainly outclassed _Dirge_ and _Thrust_ , for spark's sake.

He let himself into Megatron's quarters with a small explosive shoved between the sliding door and it's frame in order to blow it off it's track. The door fell to the floor with a bang. He poked his helm in and looked around. No one home.

He had been in Megatron's quarters before -never invited and never with Megatron's knowledge- and as always, he was disappointed with the sheer unimpressiveness. A leader should have the gumption to take advantage of his rank and have at least a few luxuries. Megatron quarters contained nothing more than a regulation berth, a regulation desk, a three legged chair than had to be held up in one corner edge by a crate, and exposed power lines where some of the bulkhead had fallen away.

Not exactly something to be envious off.

He sat himself down in the wobbly chair and started going through the desk.

He found an energon treat hidden under the datafiles, obviously something that was being saved for later. He threw it into his intake and chewed on it absently as he began going through the files.

Boring, boring, poetry, boring, politics, boring, some nonsense scheme, boring, boring.

Thankfully, the last one he switched on was less boring and more... Intriguing. It was a list of designations.

_Acid Storm, Bitstream, Dirge, Hotlink, Ion Storm..._

He scrolled down. It went on and on. Names. Only seekers. All of them marked through with a sharp red line and almost all of them with tallies beside them.

All of them.

Except his.

His designation sat at the bottom of the list. Apart from everyone else. It wasn't crossed off. It didn't have tally marks.

Now this was interesting little mystery.

 

* * *

 

"What is this?" He demanded, shoving the datafile under Skywarp's olfactory.

Skywarp scowled but took it, scrolling down as he looked over it. "A list?"

"I know it's a list!" Starscream snarled. "I'm asking you what it means!"

Skywarp poked at it again, "Well, how should I know? Oh hey-" he smiled, and turned the datafile around to show him, pointing, " _I'm_ on it!"

"I know you're on it." Starscream snatched the datafile from him. He jabbed at Skywarp's designation. "That's why I'm asking you. I found it in Megatron's desk. Your designation has more tallies than anyone else's."

Skywarp snatched it back, frowning. He mouthed numbers as he counted on his digits. Then he froze.

Starscream poked him. "Skywarp?"

Skywarp was staring into the middle-distance. Starscream knew that look. It was the look of Skywarp's processor actually turning itself on.

After an embarrassingly long pause, he blinked himself back to the present. "Oh, yeah..."

"Well?" Starscream pressed.

Skywarp's mouth fell open, "Oh, uh... I dunno." He said unconvincingly.

"You do know."

"I guess I forgot."

"Why is my name not checked off?!"

Skywarp snatched the datafile back, scrolling to the bottom. "Hey, your name _is_ on this!"

"What does it mean?!" Starscream yelled, about to blow a gasket.

"I dunno, Screamer. It's Megatron's list though, isn't it? Maybe you should ask him."

Starscream snatched the list back and marched away.

 

* * *

 

It wasn't until a couple of nights later that Skywarp remembered the list.

He gasped. Or would have gasped, had he not had Megatron's spike down his intake. He choked instead, optics watering. Megatron jumped out of his blissful stupor, hurriedly pulling him off.

"Skywarp, what on Cybertron-?"  
  
Skywarp just laughed though it, sniffing and wiping the drool from his chin, winking tears from his optics, "You- you have a list?"

In his throne, still a mighty and formidable sight with his spike stiff and wet between spread thighs, Megatron frowned at him, uncomprehending. "Explain."

"Your list?" Skywarp sat up and reached to stroke him, a careful indulgent touch. "You keep a record of this."

"This?"

"Fragging."

"...Ah," Megatron seemed to realise what he meant. He slumped back against his throne. " _That_ list. And how did you see it?"

"Starscream had it." Skywarp explained, leaning in with an open mouth. "He wanted to know what it was."

Megatron stiffened under his servos, and it had nothing to do with him taking his spike back into his mouth. He bobbed his helm, watching as Megatron watched him.

"And did you tell him?"

Skywarp shook his helm, swirling his glossa around the tip before pulling off, swallowing, "No way. He'd ruin it-"

"How so?" Megatron rested his cheek against his fist, leaning against the arm of his throne.

"He'd hog you." Skywarp said grumpily, because he would.

Starscream was selfish. Everything and anything that was good Starscream sucked up all for himself like the universes's most obnoxiously loud black hole. If he knew how... _talented_ Megatron was, he'd probably paint his name over Megatron's chest and 'no trespassers' over his codpiece.

He definitely wasn't the sharing sort.

"I very much doubt that." Megatron rumbled, but he looked contemplative. Skywarp dropped down on his spike again, sucking as Megatron thought. "Starscream... is not like other seekers..."

 _Other_ seekers.

Skywarp scowled and renewed his efforts, resenting having brought up his trine-leader at all. What was so special about Starscream anyway? They were all the same frame type. Practically identical. And Starscream's personality hardly made him a catch.

And knowing their luck, if Starscream _did_ decide to wriggle his way between Megatron's thighs he'd only use it as an opportunity to attack him when his guard was down.

His resentful musing drifted into none existence when one of Megatron's big servos found his wing and massaged it. He moaned around the obstruction in his mouth.

"I think that's enough." Megatron murmured, pulling him off again and patting his thigh. "Come, join me on the throne."

Skywarp grinned, panel clicking open and exposing his valve as climbed into his leader's lap. It was certainly enough to make him forget Starscream.

Enough to forget everything else as well...

 

* * *

 

Starscream studied the list like it was stolen Autobot intel, trying to decipher what could only be a form of code. He reordered it according to rank, then according to disciplinary reports, then according to perceived intelligence. There was no pattern. He had no idea what the tallies could have represented.

Why Skywarp had twelve. Why Thundercracker had three.

Even _Sunstorm_ had one.

Why didn't he have any?

For someone as good at puzzles as he was, it was maddening.

"Starscream." Thundercracker sighed, looking vastly uncomfortable- as he always did when he found him pouring over the list. "Just give it a rest, will you. It doesn't mean anything."

"You have three tallies." Starscream squinted.

Thundercracker's cheeks coloured with energon. "Three? Well I don't... Doesn't seem right.."

Starscream whipped around. "So you _do_ know what it means?"

"No." Thundercracker waved his servos. "I swear. I don't-"

"Thundercracker!"

"I-" Thundercracker tapped his pede, looking left and right, debating with himself. "I- alright, listen, it's not what you think-"

Starscream had absolutely no idea what Thundercracker thought he thought, so he didn't contest that. He tilted his chin up expectantly, servos on his hips. "I'm waiting?"

"It's... It's how many times we've been with him."

Starscream snorted. "You expect me to believe that? I've been by Megatron's side for years. I've been on dozens of missions with him-"

"No." Thundercracker cringed. "Not been with him, I mean- been _With_ him."

Starscream didn't say anything, not wanting to reveal how utterly confused he still was.

"For Primus's sake, Star!" Thundercracker hissed, bright purple now. "Interfacing!"

Starscream's fingers released the datafile on instinct. It hit the floor with a slap between them. Thundercracker started massaging his temples. Starscream was still frozen as he struggled to comprehend the horrific truth.

"You mean to tell me..." He breathed, confusion making way for growing, unexplainable fury. "That _Megatron_ has been fragging _my_ airforce behind my back?"

"Not really 'behind your back'-"

"What is this? A hobby for him?!"

"No, Star-!"

"Three times!" Starscream lifted as many fingers and shoved them at Thundercracker's face. "You've fragged Megatron three ti- oh slag, Skywarp!" He suddenly realised.

Twelve Primus-damned tallies beside his name.

Twelve.

His servos curled into fists. "This... Is a step too far."

"Don't be mad at Skywarp." Thundercracker reproached. "He's only-"

"It's not Skywarp I'm angry at!" Starscream snapped, having thought that would be obvious. "Megatron has been taking advantage of you all this time, and you never thought to mention-"

"Advantage?" Thundercracker sounded appalled, "No, Starscream. He's never-"

"Oh, Thundercracker," Starscream drawled nastily, placing a patronising servo on his shoulder and patting him. "So naive."

"Starscream, you're really reading this wrong-"

Starscream didn't see how this could be read any other way. Megatron had - _was_ systematically abusing his airforce. He was pulling rank and manipulating defenceless seekers into performing these deplorable favours, these _Special Duties._

Why else would they have all fallen victim to it, when he had not? They weren't as strong, as clever, as he was. Megatron must have known he'd never get away with doing it to him like he had the others.

"Not to worry." He reassured the still stuttering Thundercracker, stooping to sweep up the datafile again. "I'll deal with this."

"Oh, please don't."

He gave Thundercracker a pitying look. Megatron had them well trained, it seemed.

He was going to make his displeasure with such unprofessional practices known. And if he happened to shove this datafile up Megatron's exhaust in the process, at least then the old fool would regret ever having written it in the first place.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So kanonkita has drawn art of Skywarp's jealous musing from the previous chapter [here](https://kanonkita.tumblr.com/post/175705049289/as-usual-im-just-here-mopping-what-spoon-is). It's pretty funny.

He wanted to catch him in the act.

That was what had led to Starscream waiting till the off-shift to make his move. Of course, he really should have considered what the 'act' in question _was_ before subjecting himself to being a witness of it.

He swept through the air barracks after the evening refuel, taking note of no less than four empty berths. Four. Too many to be a coincidence. Megatron wasn't in his quarters either. The throne room was too public this time in the day for unprofessional activities- which left his private office.

He pressed his audial to the door, frowning when his sensors picked up animated noise. Armour and breathing and thunking noises. He thought 'gotcha!' and slapped the access button on the door panel without a thought for what those noises might _mean_.

"Aha!" He yelled, pointing into the occupied room.

Five pairs of optics from five separate mechs stared back.

Not that he could tell who ended where, which wings belonged to who, or where exactly Megatron _was_ in the middle of it all.

"Arghh!" He yelled, horrified, servos flying to his optics.

A chorus of screams answered him. Armour clattering, gasps of pain as they struggled to separate from each other. Megatron's voice bellowed, " _Starscream_!" in that furiously disapproving tone he used on the battlefield.

Starscream searched the key pad blindly for the control to close the door, refusing to peel his servos from his optics until he knew it would be safe too look without further emotional scarring. He'd already seen _too much_.

He was knocked by a wing when someone rushed past him, then another. He stumbled against the doorframe, palms clapped over his optics like they were welded there as the party he'd interrupted fled his presence. He could hear their heels sprinting up the corridor.

A strong servo clamped around his wrist and tugged. Starscream found himself looking into Megatron's angry face. He offlined his optics again quickly, lest he see something.

"Don't be such an immature brat!" Megatron shook him. "Look at me."

Starscream only did as he asked so he could glare. "What in the Pit were you doing?"

"Who know damn well what I was doing." Megatron said angrily. "You came here with the specific intention of interrupting it."

Starscream removed the list from his subspace. He smacked Megatron in the chest with it. What he'd intended to be a staggering blow didn't so much as sway Megatron's powerful frame.

"You have a lot to answer for."

Megatron didn't question what it was, or even how he'd gotten hold of it. Recognising it instantly, he stored it away in his own subspace, not once breaking optical contact. "My business, is _my_ business-"

"Not when it's _my_ airforce you're screwing around." Starscream snarled, adding. "Literally!"

"Don't tell me you're jealous?"

Starscream's optics nearly blew out. " _Jealous_! Jealous of bearing the same assault performed on them?"

"Assault." Megatron spat like he disliked the taste of that word on his glossa. "What are these lies?"

"You know what you're doing." Starscream sized up to him, as always, ignoring the metres he came up short, "I've known mechs like you before, lusting over our 'exotic' frames. What is it? The wings? Or the cockpit?"

"I happened to enjoy both actually." Megatron admitted easily and without shame, "Not to mention the thrusters-"

"That all we are to you? Loyal soldiers by day, toys by night?"

Megatron actually looked amused at that observation.

"They might be." He gestured out the door, where the other seekers had long since fled. "But you're certainly not. Loyal, that is."

"If loyalty earns molestation it's a wonder I'm the only one trying to kill you."

Megatron laughed.

"I don't know what ridiculous notions have gotten into your deranged little processor, Starscream, but I don't take unwilling partners. Nor do I solicit their companionship. They seek _me_ out. And sometimes," he voice dropped into a purr. "If they're _good_ , I give them what they ask for."

"Oh, disgusting." Starscream backed away from him, uncomfortable with not just the purring and the smirking, but the very idea of Megatron giving out rewards of this sort- it was almost worse than his first assumption.

"No self respecting jet would ever willingly seek out a 'ground pounder'. What could possibly give anyone a reason to believe _you're_ Primus's gift to interfacing?"

"Perhaps you should ask them." Megatron suggested, giving him a nudge over the threshold and out into the corridor. "I'm sure they'll explain why."

 

* * *

 

Skywarp held out his servos, measuring the distance.

"This big." He said.

Starscream blinked, veering back to judge it better. "No, it isn't-"

"Is it." Ramjet threw over his shoulder.

"Grounders are just bigger, I guess." Skywarp shrugged.

"Nah," Nova Storm threw in. "I've seen Drag Strip's. It's like, half the size of Megatron's."

Starscream really hadn't come to ask for a vivid description of Megatron's equipment. He had come to ask why- no, _how_ his entire airforce had ended up vying for their leader's attentions like a gaggle of starving whores.

And asking that question simply resulted in the current conversation.

"Knows how to use it too." Nova Storm sighed dreamily, optics fluttering shut as he lost himself to a daydream.

Skywarp's servo came down on his shoulder with a clap. Starscream jumped. "Shame you'll never experience it."

Starscream puffed his chest out, proud, "True. I've too much respect to sink to your level."

"Ha!" Skywarp leant against him as he bowed over laughing. "You _wish_!"

"Gotta point, Screamer." Ramjet smirked. "Megatron's gotta make it fair somehow. Only good soldiers get a turn."

"Loyal soldiers." Skywarp cut in.

"Soldiers that fight well in battle." Ramjet finished, quirking his lips. "So for you? Not in this lifetime."

Starscream glared. Like he cared. Like he gave a flying scraplet about being good or loyal or earning one of Megatron's backhanded nightmarish rewards. Like he gave a slag.

He tried not to think about his lonely, uncrossed designation at the bottom of the list. Or how he'd never come last in anything before.

He wished they'd all stop looking so fragging smug.

"Get back to work." He snapped.

 

* * *

 

"He was- _uh_ \- so angry-" Thundercracker told him, wings swaying weightlessly as he rode Megatron, hips rolling.

Megatron hummed, reclined with his arms folded behind his helm, watching his spike sink into that silky wet valve.

"Too angry to- to not care." Thundercracker elaborated. "Like he can't- he just can't- admit to himself that he wants your- wants your attention."

"My attention?" Megatron murmured, rather impressed with how coherent Thundercracker was. He took his hips and pressed him down, shoving his spike deeper. A crease appeared on Thundercracker's brow.

"Oh, oh that's good." Thundercracker breathed as he circled his hips, grinding the spike deep, nudging all those hard to reach internal nodes.

"You think far too much." Megatron told him.

"Only with what's important."

Megatron rolled them. Thundercracker huffed lightly in surprise, but didn't protest the change in position. Megatron dropped kisses to his neck, enjoying how arms circled him and digits pressed into his back.

"You should- you should do it," Thundercracker panted as they rocked on the berth.

Megatron slowed his thrusts, pausing in his kisses long enough to consider Thundercracker. "Do what?"

"Give him some attention," Thundercracker's heels pressed against his aft, encouraging him. "Yeah..."

"You want me to frag Starscream? I think he'd like that idea even less than I would."

Thundercracker shook his helm, "Just attention. Then he might- he might-"

"I get it," Megatron reassured him. If he allowed Starscream to feel important, he might not be quite so deranged in his attempts at proving himself. He might start behaving for once. He might even stop trying to kill him. "That blasted seeker demands more attention than a swarm of Insecticons."

"Just as dangerous though..."

Thundercracker might be correct in that observation.

 

* * *

 

Megatron would have forgotten his 'conversation' with Thundercracker had Starscream not come flouncing up to him the next cycle with a list of his own.

"Here." He said, dropping it atop Megatron's report, smug and satisfied.

Megatron eyed him as he flicked it on. "And this is?"

"See for yourself."

Megatron did. It was a list designations. He didn't have to guess as to what they meant.

"Very mature." He grumbled, extending it back.

"You're not going to read it?"

"Why would I?"

Starscream looked conflicted, like he himself hadn't really understood what he'd set out to prove when he'd conjured up his own list of past conquests. Since he was already having so much trouble, Megatron decided to make it worse.

"Rather short, isn't it?"

That did it.

Starscream snatched the datafile back with a snarl, denta bared and olfactory sensors flaring. He stormed off, threatening to aim a kick at Ravage when he didn't get out of his way fast enough.

 _He just wants your attention_ , Thundercracker's words came back to him.

Megatron stroked his jaw in thought as he watched Starscream leave. He supposed, as a leader, he had a duty of care for his subordinates.

Even the bad ones.

 _Especially_ the bad ones

 

* * *

 

A failed raid on a human power station saw Starscream being his typically bratty self. The failure could be put down -solely- to him and his disobedience. He knew it. Starscream knew it. The Autobots even knew it.

Soundwave had video evidence to remind anyone stupid enough to forget, and still -

"It wasn't my fault!" Starscream argued against all logic anyway.

"You disobeyed a direct order."

"Your order was flawed. I made a decision-"

"The wrong decision. A decision that threw the entire plan into chaos. If you'd stayed the course-"

"What does it matter that I didn't stay the course when the whole thing went to Pit as soon as the Autobots appeared?! If you weren't such a pathetic excuse for a leader, we'd have actually stood a chance against them!"

It was like he wanted to draw his ire.

Thundercracker's voice drifted into his processor. _Attention_.

He was doing it on purpose.

"You're dismissed."

Starscream blinked, surprised at the lack of escalation. "But- no I- I'm not finished!"

Megatron flicked his wrist and Stunticons emerged from the shadows to escort him out. Starscream kicked and struggled. Megatron folded his servos behind his back and looked away.

"-can't just- Megatron-! You can't just-"

Megatron let himself smile went he heard the desperate edge to Starscream's shouts, the catch in his vocaliser. Starscream wanted him to turn around. He wanted to have an argument with him.

It was time he make a point not to give Starscream what he wanted. 

 

* * *

 

To acknowledge that he was still frustrated would be to acknowledge that Megatron had the ability to disturb him emotionally. And he didn't. Because like frag did he care about what the old bucket was doing, or _who_.

Ramjet passed him in the mess that morning, a spring in his step. He hadn't been in the air barracks when Starscream had checked last night, so he had spent the night elsewhere.

And Ramjet? Really? What did _he_ ever do that made him 'worthy' of Megatron's rewards? What had he achieved in the raid yesterday, fleeing in the retreat, that no one else had?

"Screamer," he smiled, smug as he slowed to a pause.

Starscream gripped his cube and endeavoured to ignore him. He didn't leave.

"You're looking tense, commander. Maybe you need someone to loosen you up?"

Starscream was ready to stand up and smash his cube into Ramjet's ugly face, when a shadow fell over them.

"Ramjet." Megatron's rasp was soft, but stern with disapproval.

"Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir." Ramjet instantly ducked his cone of a helm and scurried off, wings tucked submissively low.

"What a coincidence that you and Ramjet just happened to arrive for your morning fuel at the exact same time." Starscream snarked when he was sure the other jet was out of audial range.

Megatron huffed. "You're sulking."

"I am not." He sulked.

The bench groaned as Megatron sunk his weight to it, Starscream turned his helm in the opposite direction. He didn't want to look at the promiscuous, oversexed idiot.

"This is still about that list, isn't it?"

"I don't care how many mechs you've had or how often!" Starscream snapped, tightening his servos into fists so he wouldn't fidget with them. "It's obvious you're compensating for something with your infantile boasting."

" _I_ am not boasting." Megatron arched a brow, like the very thought was beneath him.

"Well, They're boasting" Starscream said venomously. "And I'm sure sleeping with your subordinates is against.... a code of conduct, or something."

"Undeniably." Megatron agreed. "But I have seen your list, remember? You'd be in violation of that too."

"That's because in outrank everyone here but you."

"You see my problem."

Starscream refused to let himself be reasoned with. "I don't see what that has to do with whoring yourself out for good behaviour.""

"I enjoy it. They enjoy it."

"I don't."

"No one asked you."

"They're _my_ airforce."

"And you're jealous of them?"

He slammed his fist against the table, because damn right he was jealous "Why should they get-!"

He stopped when he remembered he wasn't supposed to admit that in front of Megatron.

"Go on." Megatron encouraged, voice oddly soft.

"...it's not like I'm hideous, you know."

"You are identical."

"We are _not_ identical." Starscream pointed at him. "Duplicated frame types doesn't make us identical. We're different. _I_ am different."

"You more so than most." Megatron gave him a considering nod.

"Me more-" he stopped, unsure if that was a compliment. Then he decided it was. "I am."

"You are." Megatron agreed, and then stood. "And I do wish you'd stop sulking."

Starscream would have shouted again that he _wasn't sulking_ , had his burst of aggression not simmered and cooled when Megatron turned and winked a farewell.

His insides turned liquid. 

"Weirdo," he muttered, hiding a blush behind his cube. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

The security hub during the off cycle was usually manned by one mech suffering monitor duty as punishment. Starscream didn't expect whatever grunt it was to put up an argument if he said he was taking over.

Instead of a bored, despairing soldier suffering purgatory in the blue tinged box room, he found Buzzsaw pecking at the keys. The cassette turned and flapped it's little triangle wings at him.

Starscream sneered. "Where is you master?"

Buzzsaw squawked, head titling to the side.

"Don't act like you can't understand me!" Starscream snapped, "You're not authorised for this kind of duty. You don't even have servos. How could you raise the alarm for intruders?!"

Buzzsaw pecked at the keys with considerable attitude, looking at him pointedly, as though to say 'that's how'.

"Out!" Starscream waved his arms at him. Buzzsaw squawked, jumping into the air with a panicked flap. "Get out, you stupid pigeon!"

He chased the cassette towards the door, ducking sharp talons and a vengeful beak. Buzzsaw threw him one last indignant screech before soaring out into the corridor. Starscream shut the door after him.

"A disgrace to the winged community," he muttered, taking a seat in front of the mosaic of monitors.

Due to fuel shortages and rationing, only half of the cameras were online. Security corridors, entrances, exits, and those areas demeaned high risk. Starscream tapped in a code to access _all_ camera feeds. The screen blinked for a moment, before spawning a growing list of the accessible cameras.

He went through them, one by one. Mess hall. Flight hanger. Rec room. Navigation hub.

Cheek propped against his fist, his optics began to dim as he was presented with empty room, after empty room. As he was nearing the end of the list, he grew despondent, and began to wonder why he was doing this. What would it achieve but his own irritation anyway? Did he _really_ care so much about who Megatron was-

He jumped back to the precious feed, blinking his optics back into focus.

The war chambers.

The camera was positioned at the end of the room, looking out over the expanse of the long table. There, laying across the middle of it, was a bright blue seeker, Ion Storm, and with him -in stark contrast with such a luminous colour scheme- was Megatron.

Megatron was stood, big black servos on Ion Storm's splayed thighs, bucking sharply, thrusts jolting the jet's light frame against the table.

Starscream's mouth went dry, making it hard to swallow around the lump in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to look away, watching as Ion Storm's mouth dropped open with what was likely a moan. Megatron bore down on him then, draping his huge frame over the slighter jet, hiding him from the camera's view.

He had no idea how long he was watching for, as movements became more sporadic, thrusts quickening. Ion Storm's arms came around Megatron's frame and squeezed-

The screen went black.

Starscream blinked, barely having time to wonder how the connection had been lost as every monitor flickered to black, one by one, until finally, even the overhead lighting switched off.

Sat in the darkness, realisation came to him.

Ion Storm must have lost control of his electrokinesis and set off an EMP. He'd overloaded and taken out the entire base's electrical grid.

If Starscream could have seen where the monitors were in front of him he would have punched one.

He didn't have time to sulk. The door cranked open manually behind him, the automatic function offline along with everything else. A red visor appeared.

"Starscream," Soundwave's voice resonated through the darkness. "Assistance required."

Starscream threw his arms up, unaware that his sarcastic gesture couldn't be seen in the pitch blackness. "No kidding!"

 

* * *

 

Actually witnessing 'Megatron at work' spiralled Starscream into a whole knew level of distraction. Ion Storm had enjoyed himself immensely last night, so Starscream was forced to concede that perhaps Megatron really was something of a champion in the berth.

Was this finally proof for how Megatron inspired such loyalty in the seekers when their own Air Commander could not?

Well, two could play at that game. Megatron had said his own list was short, after all.

But he wasn't going to compete against Megatron for his own airforce -and regardless, as much as a narcissist as everyone claimed he was, he didn't lust after his own frame type (he blamed Skywarp, and their one failed attempt at intimacy pre-war) -so that left...

He shuddered. The _dirt dwellers_.

He frequently found himself short on allies and friends though, so it was a matter of picking the best of a bad bunch.

He surveyed the rowdy recreational room, half trashed from the daily fights and never repaired because honestly, why would Megatron bother? There was a group gambling in the centre -with a pot composed of trash like pretty Earth stones and stolen primitive technology- and a pair at the other end of the room, throwing darts at a crudely drawn Autobot insignia nailed to the bulkhead. Brawl and Blast Off.

He moved towards them, putting extra sashay into his walk.

The two Combaticons were once allies -before that nasty business of manipulating them into usurping Megatron and getting them all banished that was. Still, they owed him their frames and existence on this planet, so that had to count for something...

"Urgh, it's Screamer." Brawl glimpsed his approach and grumbled unhappily to Blast Off.

Blast Off didn't even attempt to be subtle when he turned to look, dart poised to be thrown. "You here to make a scene, cuz' my audials are too delicate to put up with your defected vocaliser, Screamer."

Brawl snorted, chucking another dart at the Autobot poster and hitting it in the eye hole.

"What are you doing down here anyway, Blast Off?" Starscream sneered, "Didn't you know we kept you in orbit so we _didn't_ have to look at your ugly face?"

Blast Off looked furious, and Starscrean thought he might have just blown his attempt at appealing to the Combaticons- when Brawl laughed uproariously. The table of gamblers shook their helms in annoyance at his unnecessary volume. Blast Off threw his last darts at the poster and stormed out in a huff.

Brawl wiped his optics, sighing, "His ego's almost as big as yours, ya know?"

Starscream resented that comparison, but arranged his expression into a stiff smile. "Such a big ego, he must be compensating for something."

Brawl laughed again, and Starscream hid his optic roll when the Combaticon doubled over slapping his thigh. Primus, what he had to resort too...

Charming Brawl was easy, he was violent and temperamental but clearly didn't get a lot of action around here. Perhaps his proclivity on the battlefield scared potential partners off. Starscream knew the Combaticon was stronger than him, but surely, that strength could be tamed for his use.

"May I?" He asked, stepping into Brawl's space to brush a digit over one of the darts.

"Uh, sure," Brawl rumbled, letting Starscream pull the dart slowly, _slowly_ , from his grasp, digits brushing, optical contact unbroken. Starscream heard his engine rumble when he casually flicked the dart at the poster, and hit it dead centre.

"Good aim." Brawl praised.

Starscream considered him from over the top of his wing. He let it flutter briefly. Brawl's visor dimmed from neon yellow to a smouldering amber.

 

* * *

 

 _Bad idea_. _Bad idea._

Was the constant regret flashing through Starscream's processor as Brawl fragged him like an overused 'facing drone, hard and fast and relentless.

He was on his knees being taken from behind, so Brawl could get a good look and tight grip on ' _those pretty little wings_ '. It felt like he'd been at this for hours, but a brief look at his chrono confirmed it had only been fifteen minutes- including a brief foreplay that consisted of little more than Brawl jabbing a finger in him and calling him tight.

Charming.

It was starting to chafe already. He spread his thighs, trying to lessen the discomfort of Brawl's short but wide spike in his valve.

"Like that?" Brawl grunted, thumbs pressing dents down into his wings. "You want it harder? Tell me you want it. C'mon Screamer."

"Yeah," Starscream forced through gritted denta, wincing at every harsh stab to his soft mesh. "I want it...."

"What'dya want?" Brawl huffed, grinding against him and stuffing his spike deep. "What'dya want Screamer?"

"Your spike," Starscream's claws curled and stabbed into the foam padding of the berth. "Harder."

Brawl's voice was lost to harsh, sharp breaths. He pulled Starscream's wings, and worried they were going to snap off, Starscream reared up with a gasp. Brawl locked an arm around his waist instead, harsh armour scrapping the glass of his cockpit and leaving dark green streaks.

He shoved deep, mouth at Starscream's audial so he could feel every bit of Brawl's satisfied moan, "Oh, _yeah_..."

Starscream felt him overload a second later, one long steady stream of fluid to match his heavy exhale. Brawl's breath hitched at the end, and his spike released one last spurt with a twitch.

He pulled out. Starscream felt raw and crumpled. His almost empty valve clamped down on air and transfluid, the callipers aching from the abuse. At least it was over.

Or so he thought.

Brawl rolled his hips forward and dipped back in. Starscream flinched. Brawl moaned.

"Still so tight," he murmured, rocking playfully. Starscream put up with it. At least the slickness of fluid eased the tenderness of his valve. "Always wondered what the fuss about you seekers was..."

Starscream hummed noncommittally, resigned to another round. He curved his back and stuck his aft out, pushing the spike deeper, thinking he might as well _try_ to get an overload.

Brawl chuckled darkly, rough servos on his wings again.

"Try not to break anything," Starscream told him.

And really, he should have given Brawl more restrictions than that.

 

* * *

 

Starscream added Brawl's designation to his own list, tallying it. It may have been one night but having to suffer Brawl's attention twice meant he was more than entitled to count it as double.

Legs akimbo and hoisted up onto his lab desk, he adjusted the cooling pad against his sore valve and considered his next move.

If he wanted to prove to Megatron just how unprofessional and unacceptable his actions were, he needed to frag more than one underling. Only then could he shove it right in his face and see how _he_ liked it. This was a war, not an orgy.

Brawl hadn't been the smartest choice. He needed to go a little easier on his valve if this was going to be a habit -it tingled painfully when he shifted- and a little smaller too.

 

* * *

 

Soundwave didn't summon Megatron lightly, not in the middle of a recharge cycle. Whatever it was, it must have been important.

The lieutenant was in the control centre, and one of the monitors was waiting with a paused security feed.

"Intruders?" Megatron guessed, battle protocols lingering at the thought of an Autobot spy breaking through their defences.

"Negative." Soundwave intoned deeply, sounding furious. He stabbed the play button on the monitor, and the recorded security feed began to play. Megatron stepped closer, unsure what he was supposed to be watching,

When he finally spotted it he could only be grateful that the cameras didn't possess microphones.

Starscream, half hidden in the storage basement behind a stack of crates, was sat on the floor. His wings and helm were visible over the top of them. His optics were offline, mouth slack with pleasure. His legs were visible too, thrusters spread out across the floor. And between them were a second pair. Short. Blue.

Rumble?

Megatron watched, consciously aware of Soundwave's dark gaze on his back as the recording went on. One of Starscream's arms lifted and braced against the wall behind him. It was clear from the way his throat worked that he was making noise, and the expression on his face that he was close to overloading. One of his legs lifted and appeared to hook over the frame belonging the other set of legs.

The camera vibrated, static distorting the picture as on screen the whole room seemed to shake; crates wobbling, Starscream's wings jiggling.

It _was_ Rumble. No one else could generate vibrations bordering on earthquakes like that.

He watched till the end, stern faced. Starscream slumped back against the wall and finally Rumble appeared as he stood. The little cassette looked infinitely pleased with himself. Starscream himself looked worn out. They shared some brief conversation, then Rumble shot a finger gun and left.

Starscream stood, wobbling, bow legged. He looked up at the camera, and winked.

Megatron set his jaw. He could understand why Soundwave was angry.

"Do you have any further reports of this?"

"Many. Behaviour; unacceptable." Soundwave intoned. "Reprimand Starscream."

Megatron found it very hard not to just agree with Soundwave, but it would be difficult to punish Starscream without him ranting about double standards. He scratched his chin, thinking.

"Were both parties consenting?" He clarified.

It took Soundwave a while to answer. "Starscream; superior to Rumble."

Megatron hummed noncommittally, thinking back to the argument he and Starscream had previously had where he was accused of 'taking advantage'. "I'm aware. Where is Rumble?"

Soundwave gestured to his chest compartment, "Detained."

Which meant Rumble probably wasn't particularly repentant about his tryst with Starscream.

"Policing recreational habits isn't a responsibility I desire to take on." He said instead. "But feel free to make your displeasure known to Starscream however you wish."

 

* * *

 

Soundwave gunning for him had been an unforeseen and frankly terrifying side effect of having let Rumble frag him. He'd done it in view of a camera, wanting Megatron to have seen -forgetting that Soundwave would as well.

Wanting to keep his wings attached to himself, he endeavoured to steer clear of Soundwave's little drones in future- even if Frenzy did keep pinging him with increasingly whiney complaints about when it would be 'his turn'.

It meant word was spreading though.

Astrotrain cornered him outside the showers, acting all smooth and casual, but was twitching noticeably with excitement. Starscream considered the codpiece he was almost optic level with, nestled between Astrotrain's broad thighs, and cleverly talked himself out of a spiking that was likely to alter his internal hardware forever.

"Well, you've gotta pretty mouth," Astrotrain observed, not ready to quit yet.

And Starscream felt a little of his resolve dampen at the unexpected compliment, even if he knew what Astrotrain was after, "Yes well, of course I do-"

Astrotrain braced an arm against the wall and leant over him. Starscream stepped back and felt his wings hit the bulkhead. "C'mon Screamer, I won't hurt ya."

Starscream was gearing up to shove him away, and maybe shoot him, when Astrotrain slipped a digit under his chin, tilting his face up. "Besides, I'll owe ya one?"

 

* * *

 

Astrotrain's spike had felt _bigger_ in his mouth than it probably would have his valve. He cupped his cheek and rolled his jaw, trying to get rid of the stiffness. He dragged his glossa around his mouth and then spat. Disgusting.

Astrotrain had 'come' and gone, leaving him on his knees in the showers with a grateful pat on the shoulder vent and an intake gummed up with transfluid.

Owe him one, yeah right.

His plan was going somewhat awry. Megatron's promiscuity was earning him the adoration and loyalty of the airforce, but it seemed to be having the opposite affect on _his_ reputation. He _was_ getting more attention, as proved by Astrotrain, but it wasn't the good sort.

Transfluid expelled and removed from uncomfortable places, he rose to leave. He opened the door to an empty corridor, breathing a sigh of relief that word hadn't travelled that the air commander was giving out blow jobs in the communal showers. It would get around soon though, so he'd better move quickly.

He rounded the corner leading up to his quarters and walked straight into a wall. Or what he'd thought was a wall. He bounced off with a shout, nearly falling on his aft. Grumbling, he rubbed his helm and looked up.

The 'wall' looked down. And he didn't look pleased.

"Megatron." He greatly smugly.

In lieu of answering, Megatron lifted a blunt digit and pointed to his cockpit, "You missed a spot."

Starscream glanced down, already knowing what he'd find- a dried trickle of fluid running down the glass of his cockpit.

"Odd, aren't you _returning_ from the showers?" Megatron questioned, not sounding very curious at all.

"You're spying on me." Starscream decided.

"And you haven't spied on me?" Megatron glowered.

Starscream thought about the recording of him and Ion Storm from the other night and felt warm all over. "It's not spying if you're broadcasting it."

"And what's this, If not broadcasting?"

"I _knew_ it." Starscream poked him in his big stupid broad silver warm chest. "You can dish it out, but you can't take it!"

"What are you talking about?" Megatron sounded exasperated.

"You're jealous!" Starscream declared, finger in the air. "You might have the airforce but I have everyone else."

"I-" Megatron stopped, going from indignant to confused again, before his expression turned incredulous. "Ah... You think I'm jealous of _you_?"

Starscream stuck his nose in the air.

"Clearly I underestimated you." Megatron rubbed a servo over his chin and jaw, optics narrowed. It was an intense but thoughtful look. It made Starscream uncomfortable, like he was a nanite under the microscope. "You've certainly proved your point."

Starscream wished he knew what Megatron was thinking and why he was still so smug. He had beaten the old mech at his own game. Megatron knew he couldn't reproach his promiscuity if he himself was galavanting off to have orgies with full trine's every night.

"Why don't we discuss this further?" Megatron suggested, voice smooth and low. "And we can find a compromise that doesn't result in Soundwave lobotomising you?"

That sounded agreeable.

"Fine." He spat. 

He followed Megatron back to an empty conference room, alone, not thinking much of it. Not even when the lock on the door clanked.

Megatron pulled out a chair and a decanter of energon wine.

"Shall we?" He purred.

Ah, Starscream finally realised as the wine was poured. Maybe not a literal discussion then. 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

  
He had a duty of care to his soldiers.

That's what Megatron kept telling himself.

He was duty bound to lead them, to protect them, to save them from ridiculous ambitions to assume the title of _faction bicycle._

He was no old world prude by any means, and Starscream was perfectly capable of deciding what he did with his own frame, but from what he had seen, what he had heard, this was becoming damaging behaviour. Someone had intervene. _Before_ things got out of hand.

"It's a bad idea." Was all Megatron had said, ready to continue with a long lecture about why that was so, with enough emphasis on mutual respect, communication, boundaries, and everything else he made sure to practice with those he brought to his own rooms.

Starscream wasn't having any of it.

"The humans," Starscream swirled his cube at him, squinting suspiciously, "they have a word for this."

Megatron bit back a sigh.

Starscream pursed his lips in thought, then raised his drink to him. "'Slut shamming'."

"I am concerned." Megatron growled, aggressively pouring himself more energon wine. Half of it missed the cube and spilled across the table.

"Never been concerned before." Starscream muttered into his wine.

Megatron could see he wasn't getting very far. Perhaps the wine hadn't been a good idea. Perhaps trying to speak with Starscream _at all_ had been a bad idea.

He should have just let the idiot crash and burn- regardless of how uncomfortable watching Starscream's antics was making him.

"Why wasn't I ever checked off?" Starscream suddenly asked, glossa clearly loosened enough for him to broach this ever incriminating subject.

Megatron paused with his wine before his mouth, wondering if he should change the subject. "From the list?"

Starscream nodded, scowling.

"You and your stupid- list." Starscream spat. "It's not even- I mean, _they're_ throwing themselves at me!" Starscream threw an arm out towards the door, the 'they' in question clearly the lowly dregs of his faction taking their frustrations out on the only mech stupid enough to roll over for them.

"Is that why you never tried? With me?" Starscream continued. "Because I'm so out of your league?"

"What makes you think I didn't try?" Megatron ignored the self delusion and asked, then immediately wished he hadn't.

Starscream laughed, a little more genuine for his overcharge. "Because you've been busy elsewhere. You fragged Warp, what, sixteen times?!'

"It was twelve." Megatron corrected awkwardly. "Thirteen now..."

"Typical." Starscream snorted and threw his arms up. "What is it? Are you _scared_ of me? _Lord_ Megatron? Did you think I would hurt you? That I'd wait till-till you were exposed then-"

He made a slashing motion with his servo, claws extended threateningly. Megatron didn't have to guess as to what Starscream was mimicking slashing off. Any sane mech would have prioritised the safety of his intimate hardware over a ridiculous infatuation.

Yet, here he was.

"I put it you," he began, choosing his words carefully. "That I've made no less than thirty attempts to solicit your attention, including the one I am making now."

Starscream made an less than attractive face as he struggled to work out his angle. He snorted. "I think I would have _noticed_ -"

"I thought you would have noticed too." Megatron rolled a shoulder back. "Yet you didn't. You don't."

"Name one time!" Starscream snapped, knocking over his latest cube as he stood. "Name one- the _last_ time even- you've ever shown anything but disdain for me!"

"Earlier this week."

"Earlier this-" Starscream stopped, then sneered, "You're mistaking me for Skywarp."

"No," Megatron felt his temper fray. "Skywarp would have gotten the hint by now."

Starscream was vibrating with emotion. His dark face held a twinge of pink. "And here I thought you respected me too much to make me another notch in your berthpost."

"About as much as you respect me." Megatron growled. "And I do wish you'd _make up your mind_. Last week you accused me of being the deviant manhandling your seekers. Since then you've been running about bending over for anything with a spark beat, and now? You're demanding to know why I never bothered manhandling you?"

Starscream looked miserable, and conflicted.

Megatron sighed, lifting his wine. He wasn't nearly overcharged enough for this. "I have better understanding of organic biology, than I do of you. You realise that?"

"I wouldn't have guessed you had an understanding of anything..." Starscream muttered to the table, slumped in his seat like a moody adolescent.

Megatron turned on his heel with a growl of annoyance. "You're impossible."

"And you're a fool."

"Maybe!" Megatron snapped, spinning in place to look at him again. "Because despite your deplorable personality and ridiculous antics, if you weren't so overcharged I would have you here and now!"

Starscream stood slowly, cube in his servo.

"Thank Primus for wine then." He said, and drank the rest.

He dropped the empty cube on the table and barely spared Megatron as glance as he left.

Megatron took what remained of the wine and downed the whole lot.

 

* * *

 

With them both being high command, their quarters were close. So close, in fact, that he and Starscream shared a wall. Late at night, Megatron could sometimes hear him pottering about in his quarters. There might be a bang as he dropped something, his muffled voice as he ranted about a problem. It worked in Megatron's favour, because when Starscream was at his most suspicious, he could press his audial up against their shared bulkhead and listen to the treacherous brat practice his latest victory monologue for whatever stupid assassination plot he'd come up with that time.

That night, Megatron did not appreciate the shared bulkhead as he often did. He sat on the end of his berth, frowning contemplatively as he listened to the rhythmic _thunk, thunk, thunk_ of something hitting the bulkhead on Starscream's side.

His spark felt tight, and he was restless. Before he gave in and did something stupid like storm next door and interrupt whatever Starscream was perfectly entitled to be doing to entertain himself on his off-shift, he summoned some entertainment of his own.

He chose Skywarp, because he'd been with him often enough now that he never had to worry about making a show of it. He nodded when he entered, and Skywarp easily hopped onto his berth, smiling welcomingly.

Megatron draped himself over him, and it should have been instinct from there. Easy. Skywarp stroked his panel and kissed his neck, touches going from soft and teasing to insistent when nothing much seemed to work.

"Are you okay?"

Megatron shook himself from his stupor. Skywarp was pinned beneath him, parts worried and irritated. "You're distracted."

Megatron huffed noncommittally. Unfortunately, the room was now quiet enough that when something thunked against the bulkhead loudly and a muffled cry rang out, it was hard to ignore.

Skywarp blew hot air out of his vents, understanding dawning.

"You can turn off the lights, you know."

Megatron blinked, frowning down at him. "Excuse me?"

"If you want to pretend I'm Starscream?" Skywarp offered like that was the problem, "Offline your optics. Pretend I'm him. I won't even say anything."

Megatron began to draw away, uncomfortable. "That would be rude. And unnecessary."

On the other side of the bulkhead, Starscream moaned long and low.

Megatron swallowed thickly, and Skywarp stroked the back of his neck.

"I don't mind." He promised, gaze flicking to the light panel.

 

* * *

 

Skywarp lay silent beneath him, vents huffing and a servo pressed over his mouth to stop any telling vocalisations. It took Megatron a while to dismiss the stab of self-revulsion at matching his thrusts with the rhythm of the banging furniture next door, but when he did, he focused his audials, and he could hear Starscream faintly - his nonsensical groans and gasps.

Beneath him Skywarp was just a dark seeker-shaped outline. Megatron still took him the way Skywarp liked, imagining it wouldn't be far from what Starscream himself would enjoy anyway.

It wasn't the same though. He knew it wasn't. Starscream wouldn't lay so still, wouldn't feel so compliant. Megatron would have claws in his back, curses spat in his audials. Starscream would smell like his rich polishes and radiate pompousness.

A squawk of noise sounded next door, followed by a low, long moan, almost pained. Megatron knew from instinct that Starscream had overloaded. He felt his own approach when the thunking continued. Whatever partner Starscream had chosen, they had greater stamina.

He thrust sharply, the pit of his tank turned with anger now too. Skywarp's servo slipped from his mouth and he squeaked in surprise. It wasn't Starscream's voice, but it was enough. Megatron held deep and overloaded.

Skywarp brushed his servos over the backs of his shoulders, murmuring comforts. Megatron let his helm hang in shame, realising Skywarp hadn't overloaded.

"You get a free pass," Skywarp reassured him, letting him drop his helm to his chest. "I think I've had more than my share of overloads from you anyway."

Megatron exhaled, exhausted, and couldn't help but curse Starscream for ruining his perfect record.

He rolled off Skywarp, offered the use of his fingers, and wasn't at all surprised to be turned down. Tonight was a 'first' for many things it seemed. Skywarp didn't appear annoyed with him, more sympathetic, understanding. He tugged Megatron's helm down and kissed his cheek, overfamiliar and daring like no other seeker ever would be- save maybe one.

Perhaps that's why he was his favourite.

Skywarp left with a mock salute and Megatron threw himself onto his berth with a groan at how badly the day had gone.

It got worse, five minutes later, when Skywarp sent him a message.

_"I waited in the corridor. He was with Blitzwing_."

A triple changer. Wonderful.

Starscream's room was indeed silent now that his company had left. But Megatron could still hear it; the ghostly thunk of furniture. He threw his arm over his optics, and prayed for sleep.

 

* * *

 

Starscream was so busy with his new admirers he didn't seem to have the time to harass Megatron professionally. War councils went uninterrupted, plans unquestioned, life was relatively peaceful, and the faction was functional. The latest raid went off without a hitch. In and out in under an hour. The Autobots never even knew they'd been there.

Such a rare victory called for a celebration- according to Swindle, who was after the remaining energon after the bulk had been sent back to Shockwave.

Lethargic, and in need of a good overcharge himself, Megatron waved his agreement with a grunt.

So now his orderly base had dissolved into a scene not unlike a weekend night at a rowdy Kaonite fuelery.

Megatron sat in his throne, raised and apart from the others, his cube pressed to the edge of his helm to soothe the mounting headache as he glared across the masses. The drone of noise from conversation wasn't enough to numb his audials to the cackle of Starscream's laugh. Against his own will, his optics tracked the noise to it's source.

Starscream was leant against a pillar, arms folded smugly over his powerful chest. He was surrounded by a half-circle of suitors. Stunticons, Megatron noted with distaste, a few of them extending cubes, hoping to win his favour with feigned generosity.

It really wasn't any of his business, but the Stunticons were notoriously troublesome. He himself had some difficulty keeping them in line, and something about seeing Starscream flirt with them so carelessly made his armour crawl.

"Sir."

Megatron found Thundercracker lingering below his throne. He glanced once more at Starscream before sighing and summoning Thundercracker closer. He had another cube. Megatron took it without thanking him.

"Go easy on it, sir." Thundercracker murmured, though it wasn't his place and he sounded like he knew it. Megatron responded with little more than an glare, throwing the energon back.

"It's not my place to say," Thundercracker began. "But-"

"Then don't say it."

Megatron glanced at Starscream again, watched him nudge Drag Strip away with a playful smile, wings fluttering. He trailed his digits down his cockpit, skimming the glass, tilted his helm back to expose his graceful neck, shifted his weight from thruster to thruster to subtly show off the sway of his generous hips.

Megatron didn't know how long he'd been staring, but it was long enough for Thundercracker to bore and leave. He couldn't bring himself to care, the energon in his intake left a bitter taste on his glossa as he watched Motormaster shoulder Drag Strip aside and brace a thick arm against the pillar over Starscream's helm, lean into him.

The Stunticon leader's reputation for brutally followed him off the battlefield. He was known for throwing his weight around, and if Starscream had any sense, even just an iota, he would dismiss Motormaster's advances before he ended up sore and dented in the medbay because of it.

Whatever conversation Starscream was having with the 'king of the road' it was going well enough for Motormaster that the rest of his gestalt gradually moved on -all save Wildrider, who was arguably insane and no better a choice for an interface than his leader.

Megatron glanced in the direction Thundercracker had disappeared, finding most of the seekers had already dispersed. He searched the crowd for Soundwave, knowing he could send his lieutenant over to spike-block the Stunticon's (and anyone else's) attempt on Starscream by scaring the seeker off. But the evening was coming to a close. The sensible mechs had retired for the night.

Movement caught his optic and he turned in time to see Starscream being led through the doorway, hand in hand with Motormaster and Wildrider.

He gripped the armrest of his throne, tapped his digits, and counted down from ten. He made it to seven before standing and striding for the door they'd left through.

He stumbled out into the corridor. It was empty. He listened, searching for Starscream's laughter, but heard nothing.

He shouldn't have waited. 

 

* * *

 

His own quarters were dreadfully silent. He hadn't _wanted_ to spend the evening listening to two thugs 'face Starscream through the wall, but at least he would have known what was happening, he would have been able to hear if things took a turn for the worse.

They must have taken Starscream elsewhere. Their own quarters? Somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed, or heard?

His own overcharge coupled with a nervous energy just wouldn't let him relax and forget it. High grade made him low on inhibitions anyway. He messaged Starscream.

_Where are you?_

Five seconds felt like five hours, and Megatron didn't wait for him to answer before sending another.

_Hail me when you receive this._

He paced, pausing when he thought he heard something outside. It was just his imagination.

_Answer me, Starscream._

He tortured himself with worst case scenarios for why Starscream wasn't answering.

_We have a situation_. He lied, wondering if Starscream was deliberately ignoring him.

_Ignoring summons from a superior officer will result in discipline._

He sent another ten messages or so, and every unanswered minute that passed made him ever more agitated. He was about to throw dignity out the window and hail a team to search the base for them, wondering if Motormaster and Wildrider had left him bleeding somewhere in the depths of the ocean, when something banged against his door from outside.

He rushed to open it.

The door wasn't open long enough for his optics to register who was on the other side before a sky blue blur was slapping him across the face. His helm swung to the side with the force of it. He rolled his jaw, shifting his gaze back to the culprit.

Starscream was in front of him, optics bright, vents heaving, onlined weapon smoking from the tip.

" _Why_ did you let me _go_ with them!?" Starscream waved his arms. "I only just managed to get away! I thought you were going to follow us?!"

Megatron blinked, cheek stinging from the blow, processor stalling. He didn't know what to say.

Angry hollers reached them from somewhere deeper in the base, running footsteps. Megatron learnt forwards with a frown, wondering what the commotion was. Servos pressed against his armoured belly and pushed him back inside the room, Starscream scrambling in after him.

"Shut the door. Quick."

Megatron didn't, confusion mounting when he recognised the yelling voices as the Stunticons Starscream had been with.

Starscream slapped the keypad, activated the lock, and slumped against the closed door, optics offlining with a breath of relief.

Megatron took a closer look at him. His nullray, which had obviously been recently fired, was bent in the middle, like someone had grabbed it to avoid a shot to the face. Starscream's wings were wonky, the right one hanging at a lower angle and one of the vents in his shoulder had been crumpled. They were relatively minor, superficial damages. Not the result of a fight, but of rough handling.

Megatron felt his anger mount with how utterly unsurprised he was to see it.

He squared his shoulders and reached to open the door.

Starscream grabbed his wrist with both servos, giving him an intense look. "If I wanted them scrapped, I'd do it myself."

Megatron tugged his wrist free, annoyed, "So I'm right in my thinking this was a desperate attempt at drawing my ire?"

Starscream shrugged, "I saw you watching me. Everyone did."

"And you continued your wanton flirting as a show of defiance?"

"I wanted to see what you would do." Starscream rolled his optics, tutting, "I should have realised it would have been no different to what you _always_ do. _Nothing_."

That wasn't true- but Megatron wasn't going to admit that Starscream's games had managed to work.

"So now what? I throw you out and let you lie in the bed you've made yourself?" He asked, "it's going to rather crowded sharing it with Motormaster _and_ Wildrider."  
  
Starscream laughed sarcastically, "You're not going to throw me out. I saw the look on your face when I left with them."

"What look would that be?"

"This," said Starscream, and proceeded to make an exaggerated expression of pining, mouth turned down at the corners, optics big and sad, servos clasped together under his chin.

Megatron wasn't going to be led. He arched a clever brow, pointing, "Odd, wasn't that the look _you_ wore when you found my list?"

Starscream's expression twisted.

"I'll just get back to work on my _own_ list then," he said, and Megatron stepped aside to let him go, reminding himself that Starscream was doing this on purpose.

If he wanted to let crazy Stunticons rip his wings off in a violent threesome out of stupid stubbornness, let him. He wasn't going to pick up the pieces. 

He wasn't. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying this fic please check out AvianAtrocities awesome mini-fic featuring Skywarp after his less than satisfactory night with Megatron [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15458397). It's a great little read.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn't catch the note at the end of the last chapter, please check out AvianAtrocities awesome mini-fic featuring Skywarp, set before this chapter [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15458397).

Motormaster and Wildrider... had been a mistake. He knew that before he'd even left with them. He'd just wanted a rise out of Megatron, wanted him to just- _just_ -

He wasn't sure what he wanted anymore.

Fortunately the Stunticons didn't rip him to pieces -though not for lack of trying. He wasn't the only one visiting the medbay the next morning, but Wildrider was still smiling a denta-less smile and Motormaster didn't seem to mind his smashed optic. They'd enjoyed it regardless.

Starscream just needed to steer clear of those with more violent records in future- aware that his choices in partners were growing ever narrower.

He was still sulking about his night and his poor choices when he knocked shoulders with Skywarp in the corridor on his way to a refuel. He took one look at the thunderous pout on his trinemate's face and knew he was going to have yet another reason to be in a bad mood that morning.

"What _now_."

"You just get everything you want, don't you?" Skywarp started.

Starscream was far too tired and achy for this. He offlined his optics with slow resignation, hardly bothered enough to play this game.

"Only what I deserve." He said easily, undisturbed.

Skywarp scowled petulantly, looking not unlike a toddler devoid of treats. "Why you gotta ruin everything, Screamer? We had a good thing going with Megatron."

Oh, _this_ again. Starscream was sick of his airforce's territorial posturing, "If you have an issue with Megatron, it's nothing to do with-"

"Don't act like it's not you!" Skywarp pointed, angrier than he had expected. "What is it? You're not having fun, so now no one else can? It's not like any of us ever get so much as a glance from him if you're in the room anyway!"

Understanding dawned. Megatron wasn't _servicing_ his seekers? He had to repress his smile in front of Skywarp. He wouldn't do himself any favours by looking so smug.

"Is that so?"

Skywarp's anger softened into something sulky. He kicked at the floor, "We're trine, ya know. I mean, it wouldn't kill you to share."

"Share?" Starscream blanched, "Share what exactly? He's not mine. And by the sounds of it, he's not yours either."

Skywarp stare was intense, "So you're saying you don't want him?"

He said it with disbelief, like Megatron was some sort of life changing prize no sane mech would pass up on, like he had just won the lottery but was throwing away the ticket out of spite.

"I don't want him." He said.

"That's not true," Skywarp sassed, looking him up and down like he _knew_ him and what he wanted. "Why else do you keep having loud frags in the room next to him if you didn't want him to hear."

Starscream's shoulders stiffened, "How do you know-?"

"I heard you going at it with Blitz'," Skywarp glared, clearly disapproving his taste. "I know you. And I know what you sound like when you're _faking_ it."

Starscream shoved him away from him, feeling unexpectedly vulnerable. 

Skywarp didn't shove him back, "Just figure out what you want already." He grumbled, "I'm tired of picking up after you."

 

* * *

 

Starscream should have been happy. He had what he wanted. He had effectively neutered Megatron. He wasn't galavanting about the ship propositioning his seekers left right and centre, and the result wasn't just a miserable Megatron, but a miserable Air Force. He had won.

He could feel their glares on his wings as he moved around the base, and kept himself on high alert in case they decided to jump him.

He had forgotten it wasn't _just_ the seekers he had to watch out for though, and he had forgotten it wasn't just revenge mechs might have been out for.

In a bid to avoid the hateful judgment of his airforce, he slipped down into the flight hanger, taking up a seat on one of the empty storage crates as he ran flight simulations on his datapad, looking for new tactics against the clumsy -but improving- Aerialbots.

A shadow fell over him. One with long rotor blades.

"You're blocking my light," he told Vortex.

"You busy?" The shadow asked, without moving away.

Starscream didn't dignify him with his full attention. He jabbed at his datapad pointedly, as if being down here wasn't enough of a hint that he wanted to be alone, "Obviously."

"Hey," a servo landed on his shoulder. "I'm trying talk to you."

He shrugged it off, "Vortex, I swear to-"

His datapad was knocked out of his servo. He stared at it on the floor, bad mood triggering his worse temper.

Vortex, oblivious, was still talking, about the night before now; how he'd 'shunned him' in favour of Motormaster and Wildrider and how Vortex deserved 'attention', deserved 'a turn'. Starscream counted down from ten.

Nine.

"-you're not even listening to me!" Vortex grabbed his shoulder again, and though it wasn't a harsh grip, it was _entitled_. He thought he was owed what his gestalt brothers had been given.

So Starscream span around and punched him in the face.

Taller and heavier than him, Vortex only stumbled back two paces, expression contorted with surprised pain.

"You wanted to know what you were missing? _That's_ what you were missing!" He snarled, fist raised to do it again.

The bases's interrogator was used to rough housing, as all Combaticons were. He wiped the drip of pink energon running from his nose and sniffed, rotor blades shifting on his back to broaden his silhouette and look all the more intimidating.

"So that's how you wanna be?" He asked.

Starscream pulled a face, "Forgive me for not being interested, but I know how _slow to rise_ you helicopters are."

Vortex's face darkened. He cocked his blaster, "You wanna say that again, Screamer? Or do I have to prove you wrong?"

Was that a pick up line or threat? Mildly disturbed, Starscream rose his own weapon. When they were interrupted by an even bigger problem.

"What in the ebon stars is going on in here?" Megatron demanded, storming in.

Vortex snapped to attention, tucking his arms- and his blaster- behind his back. Starscream didn't bother, nullray still glowing purple at the tip. It was so tempting to turn it on Megatron.

"Nothing sir." Vortex answered the question.

Megatron ignored Starscream as he came up to Vortex, looming over him ominously, narrowed optics dropping to his wonky nose. "You're injured."

Vortex lifted a servo to his nose, having forgotten the punch he'd taken. "Just... having a little fun."

'Fun' might have been the wrong word to use. Megatron's glare switched from Vortex's cringing face to meet Starscream's gaze. Starscream summoned every dissident byte of his personality to sneer back, wanting to tell Megatron to get lost but unwilling to make Vortex a witness to one of their blow out arguments.

"Infighting then." Megatron decided, gaze snapping back to Vortex. "Report yourself to the brig."

Vortex's optics flared with shock, "But I-"

"Now." Megatron boomed, face contorting with rare fury. Vortex's fan blades fell back in submission. He threw Starscream a passing glare and stormed off.

Sensing his own punishment brewing, Starscream went to follow. A servo caught his wing in a grip far from gentle.

"Starscream, with me." Megatron ordered, scuppering his plan of escape.

Starscream twisted to shove him off, but he projected his intention too strongly. Megatron avoided his open palmed push, and retorted with a pull of his own. Starscream stumbled, and with a hiss, shoved Megatron again.

It quickly and ridiculously turned into a push and pull which he rapidly lost when Megatron huffed, grabbed him around the middle, and lifted him off the floor.

"Put me down!" He roared, kicking his heels back, aiming for Megatron's codpiece.

Knowing him too well, Megatron avoided his attacks and hauled him out of the hanger and through the ship, vents harsh with the excursion of having to fight against him.

"For- Primus's sake!" Starscream yelled, clawing at Megatron's thick arm, unable to break free, "Where are you taking me!"

"Where you- can't cause - _trouble_!" Megatron snarled back, voice rough.

"I didn't start it!"

"You start everything."

Starscream retorted with renewed struggling, but it didn't matter. He recognised the corridor as the command quarters. Megatron dragged him before his own door and keyed in an override code. The door whooshed open and Starscream squawked when he found himself launched bodily through the doorway.

"You're confining me to quarters?!"

"Would you rather the brig? With Vortex?"

"I'd take Vortex over _you_ any day!" Starscream yelled back, volume creeping higher to match his emotions.

Megatron stepped over the threshold and let the door shut behind him, trapping them in the room together. "Is that so?" He snarled.

"Get _out_ of my room!" Starscream cried, not caring that he sounded like a reclusive adolescent. "Get out! _Get out_!"

"Enough!" Megatron bellowed, louder even than him. His servo cut through the air between them with a sense of finality, and he looked serious enough that Starscream almost backed away. Almost.

"What do you want?" Starscream demanded.

"For this nonsense to stop." Megatron growled. "I saw the medical report Hook gave me this morning-"

"That's confidential!" Starscream squeaked, about as angry as he was mortified to realise Megatron knew what sort of 'personal maintenance' he had required over the last few weeks with his new... hobby.

"It would be if every blasted mech you took to berth didn't spent every one of their waking moments boasting about it!" Megatron snapped, looking disgusted.

His disgust hit something deep within Starscream, like a solid punch in the chest.

"You hypocrite." He hissed, " _Hypocrite_! You think they don't talk about you?!"

"They're welcome to."

"So it's alright when _I_ have to listen to it?"

Megatron's face twisted, "What are you talking about?"

Starscream felt himself turning hot. His anger fell to a simmer as he realised his mistake. "It's always one rule for you, and another for me, isn't it?"

"Only when you're deliberately provoking me."

" _You're_ provoking _me_!" Starscream yelled and grabbed his collar seam to just- _shake_ him. Maybe put some sense into him. Megatron pulled against his grip, but Starscream held tighter, dug his claws in, didn't let him escape.

Scowling, Megatron grabbed his upper arms, and then they were stuck, braced against one another, waiting for the other to move first.

Starscream _wasn't_ going to move first.

Megatron's chest was warm under his servos, his jaw squared in annoyance.

"Let go." He said. 

" _You_ let go." Megatron didn't give him an inch. His fisted flexed, tightened on Starscream's upper arms.

"You want us to stand here for ever?" Starscream hissed.

"If we have to."

He knew what Megatron was doing. He knew. Megatron thought he was just _so_ irresistible. How many others had he charmed with sheer presence? How many fliers had folded under his smoulder? His stupid, _smug_ smoulder.

With a whine of defeat, he leant in.

Megatron took care of the rest.

 

* * *

 

When Starscream shoved closer Megatron thought it was another attempt to attack him. It might have been, had he not decided to just kiss him instead.

Starscream made a noise like a choked off sob, claws curling deeper into his armour seams. It was a fierce kiss, Starscream's breathing harsh and his denta sharp. He was kissing like he worried if he stopped, Megatron would let go.

He placed a hand on the small of Starscream's back, a reassurance that he wouldn't. Not if he could help it. 

Starscream's mouth dropped open, begging for glossa but shying away when it was given. Megatron drove forward, chasing him, licking past his lips and trying to tease some reciprocation. It was too much too soon. Starscream turned his helm out of the kiss with a curse.

For a moment Megatron thought the shouting and shoving would start again. He kissed at Starscream's neck, not wanting to waste this opportunity, however short lived it would be.

"Let me take care of you," He breathed, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt. Starscream was tight hot tension in his arms, just one degree away from bursting into flame. He let his mouth ghost up Starscream's dark helm, "Don't push me away."

"I don't need you." Starscream said, but it was weak, and Megatron didn't believe him. "I don't _want_ you..."

"I want you." Megatron knocked their helms together, wanting Starscream to _look_ at him, fraggit. "I want you."

"For your stupid list," Starscream hissed, optics sparking.

Megatron dove into his subspace and pulled it out. He threw it across the room. Starscream jumped in his arms when they heard it crack against the wall.

"I want you." He repeated, and kissed him.

Starscream huffed like he was put out by it, but Megatron soon changed his mind, licking over stiff lips and running his digits along the edge of his wing. They shuddered under his touch, receptive as all wings were to light teasing.

Starscream's chest bumped his as he leaned in, won over just that little bit more.

"That's nice..." Starscream mumbled thickly against his lips, optics fluttering when Megatron played with an aileron. It made him wonder if Starscream had ever been with someone who actually knew what they were doing.

And it made him want to please him all the more.

He bore down on him, crowding Starscream until his back hit the bulkhead with a thunk- Megatron almost stopped to apologise, but feared if he did, he'd break the spell. Starscream was running his servos over his shoulders, up the back of his neck. His knee rose and brushed between Megatron's thighs. Desire pulsed through Megatron frame. His spike was already trying to extend. It felt tight under his panel.

He took Starscream's servo and dragged it down his front, pushed it against his codpiece. He felt Starscream smile into the kiss. Fingers groped and Megatron groaned. Starscream pushed the heel of his servo against it and made an appreciative noise.

"That's for you," Megatron promised, letting the panel split and come apart. Starscream wrapped his servo around it as soon as he could, possessive in his desire.

"They were right," Starscream mumbled to himself. "It is pretty big..."

Megatron let himself laugh, but as much as he enjoyed Starscream's touch, he was more interesting in getting into him. He wanted to see what it was that made Starscream tick. What it would take to have him wet and writhing and calling his name.

He smoothed his thumbs across the edges of Starscream's pelvic armour, tipping his own hips forward so the spike Starscream stroked with such uncharacteristic care bumped his shiny white abdomen. He head the click of a panel opening and walked his digits down.

He touched silky mesh and Starscream threw his helm back and smacked it against the wall. With a soft noise of reproach at his carelessness, Megatron cupped the back of his helm to cushion it. "Easy."

He trailed his fingers lightly over the swollen sensor node. Starscream moaned thickly.

"I never want to hear of another mech touching you here," he said into Starscream's blissed out expression, only half convinced he was being heard at all. He pushed his middle finger past wet folds and into luscious heat.

Starscream sighed, working his hips down. His fist squeezed around Megatron's spike when he forgot to stroke it. "Hypocrite."

"I know," Megatron kissed his jaw, then his mouth.

One of Starscream's thighs lifted at an angle that implied he wanted more. Megatron grabbed it and hitched it up, letting Starscream steer his hips towards his valve. They were hindered by a considerable height difference.

It had been a while since Megatron had done a position so ambitious, but he bent, seized Starsceam around the thighs, and lifted him. Wings scrapped the bulkhead, but Starscream threw his arms around his neck for stability.

"Get on with it then," Starscream encouraged, the heat of his valve teasingly close to his spike now. He nuzzled the side of Megatron's neck, egging him on, "Quick now, before you drop me."

"I won't drop you." Megatron huffed, hitching him higher to prove his strength.

Starscream hummed like he was impressed, crossing his ankles behind Megatron's back.

Megatron held him firmly against the wall, reached for his spike, and guided it in.

Starscream opened up around him, calliper by calliper. Megatron felt twitches of resistance, a clench of pressure. Starscream exhaled sharply against his cheek, thighs shaking around his waist. Megatron rolled his hips and bottomed out.

"Starscream..." He praised, overcome by him. The scent of him, the warmth of him, the feel of him. The prick of his claws in the back of his neck and the flex of his legs around his sides. He held deep, pausing for fear of finishing too soon.

In control once more, he rolled his hips. Starscream stiffened and made a noise very different to the sort Megatron had become accustomed to hearing through the walls. It was soft, genuine, emotional.

"Megatron..."

He had decided a long time ago that if he ever did have Starscream he would take him slow, savour it. Fierce desire changed that. He worked up a rhyme that had Starscream gasping and clinging to him, valve seeping enough lubricant that every movement was slick and obscene. He didn't let up, not even when Starscream started panting like he couldn't breathe. 

He felt the clench of Starscream's overload after what felt like no time at all had passed. He paused and kissed him, roughly, swallowing Starscream's whiney cries. Then kept going.

He bounced him on his spike, watching the way his wings swayed and knocked back against the wall. Starscream's cockpit caught the light as he curved his back in ecstasy, helm thrown back. Of all the mechs Megatron had ever been with, none of them could measure up to Starscream's level of animation.

It was after Starscream's second overload that his own came closer. Starscream tucked his face against the side of his helm and whispered filthy, victorious boasts, that no one would measure up after him, that no one would satisfy him like this ever again.

Megatron overloaded, jaw tight and voice silent as he emptied himself into Starscream, pumping his hips with everything he had left to give. He finished with a grind, relishing the new slickness before his spike began to soften.

Slowly, Starscream's frame began to uncoil from him. He let thighs fall from around his waist but caught Starscream when he wobbled on his pedes.

Starscream slumped back against the wall, dark face pink and frame sizzling with heat. Megatron braced an arm against the bulkhead next to him. They stared at each other in silence.

Until Starscream reached into his subspace and pulled out a datapad. He clicked a lit-pen and drew a slash across the screen.

Megatron stared.

Starscream turned it around, and showed him.

There was his designation. With a line drawn through it.

He was about to frown, to feel angry, when Starscream smiled and tossed the datapad away. It hit the floor face down with a smash of glass screen. 

"Maybe it's time we made a _new_ list." Starscream said, cupping his cheek and turning him to  meet his gaze.

Megatron blinked, looking away from the broken pad and into Starscream pretty, but dangerous optics. "...We?"

 

* * *

 

There was a definite spring to Starscream's step when Skywarp next saw him. A sign of the Pit freezing over, or worse.

"Skywarp," Starscream greeted pleasantly, and he was practically _glowing_. Skywarp knew the look. He'd seen it on his own face, oh, about _thirteen times._

"You here to chase me away from Megatron then?" Skywarp guessed sulkily. "Who else have you threatened, or am I the first?"

Starscream arched a clever brow. Skywarp wished he wasn't always so smug. It made it all the more difficult to remind himself that Starscream was trine, and that it wasn't acceptable to smoother him in his sleep.

"Actually, I came to collect you."

"For what?" Skywarp veered away, wondering if Starscream had plans to smoother _him_ first.

"Special duties." Starscream said, beckoning him as he moved away.

Skywarp stood slowly, trying to figure out Starscream's angle before he followed. Special duties? Wait. Wasn't that the code for-

 _No_.

His optics brightened with disbelief. Starscream was glancing back at him, the biggest smirk on his face.

"No way..." He breathed, rushing after him. He caught up and grabbed Starscream shoulder, ignoring how Starscream hissed in irritation. " _No way_!"

"Skywarp."

"You're not gonna keep him for yourself?" Skywarp asked. Because he would, if he had the opportunity.

Starscream's smile was wry, "Oh, I'm keeping him." He said, with an edge of warning. "He is _mine_ , but we're trine..."

He met Skywarp's gaze and shrugged, "So I suppose I can share."

He would have hugged Starscream if he thought it wouldn't have gotten his special duties revoked. He didn't stop smiling though, even when they arrived outside Megatron's quarters to find every other flier on base waiting.

Starscream was immediately inundated with excuses and pleas. From the smile on his face, It looked like he was loving it.

He held up a servo for silence, "Save it for another cycle," he announced. "Elite trine only."

"That's favouritism!" Ramjet yelled.

Starscream's smile got even wider. "Then you'd better get on my good side, hadn't you Conehead. 'Good behaviour' has a whole new definition now."

Skywarp didn't even care that Starscream had gone mad with power in just the few short hours after managing to pin Megatron under his thruster, because at least he was reaping the rewards with him. He caught Thundercracker's gaze as he came through the crowd, and gave him a soft, knowing smile.

Starscream unlocked the door and led them in. Megatron was sat at his desk, oblivious to the chaos outside. He blinked in surprise when he saw Starscream wasn't alone, but he didn't look unhappy.

"Starscream," he murmured, and from the way he said his trine leader's name, Skywarp could tell Megatron was smitten. "You brought company."

"Think of it as a reward." Starscream stood to the side, and with a nod of his helm, gestured for Thundercracker and Skywarp to go out ahead of him.

Megatron spread his thighs in the way that always implied he wanted someone to sit on them, hiding a grin behind his fist. "For who? Them or myself?"

Starscream pulled out a chair and took a seat, settling down to watch.

"Me." He snapped his fingers at Skywarp and Thundercracker and pointed at Megatron. "Make it good."

Skywarp met Thundercracker's gaze with a sly look. Oh, they were planning on it.

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Blank space](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15354237) by [BlushLouise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlushLouise/pseuds/BlushLouise)




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